Woman lying in road dies days after being hit by car

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ (Warren County) – A Hackettstown woman has died after she was struck by a vehicle Saturday evening.

Bernarda Cruz-Leiva, 51, died Tuesday after she was reportedly lying on Route 517 and then struck by a 2008 Mercury driven by Alanna Snyder, 18, of Columbia, NJ, police said.

A preliminary police investigation revealed that at 10:40 p.m. Snyder was traveling south on Route 517 in the area of Cook St. A vehicle in front of Snyder’s vehicle swerved into the northbound lane to avoid hitting a pedestrian lying in the roadway. Snyder attempted to stop but was unable to and then struck Cruz-Leiva, police said.

Cruz-Leiva was transported to Morristown Medical Center, where she later died.

It’s unknown at this point in the investigation why Cruz-Leiva was in lying in the roadway, police said.

The crash and cause of death remains under investigation by the Hackettstown Police Department Detective Bureau, the Warren County Prosecutors Office and the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Anyone that might have seen something prior to the crash is asked to contact the Hackettstown Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 908-852-3302. The crash remains under investigation.